Aspects of the Guardian
by Aspect of the Guardian
Summary: Light and Aura collide, and Remnant will never be the same.
1. Chapter 1: Introduction

Aspects of the Guardian

Introduction

The Traveler. Such a humble name for something so incredible; a being of machine and mind and light, powerful enough to cross galaxies and more. It came to us in a time when were complacent, stagnant; warring with ourselves for the remaining resources of our over-populated mud ball. It arrived without warning, without sign; one day, a research satellite orbiting mars reported odd signals and relayed a grainy, distorted image of a large, shining white sphere. It was decided that a manned party be sent to repair the probe, because of course it was damaged! Nothing could just appear like that!

Well. The Traveler could.

In the wake of its discovery, humanity was catapulted centuries, even millennia ahead in science and technology; medicine became so advanced that disease was trivialized, lifespans were tripled- even quadrupled- and colonies began sprouting up everywhere mankind could reach. It seemed as if we had reached a golden age that would never end, all of it possible due to a simple gift from the Traveler.

Then we encountered the Darkness. Not much is known about the Collapse of the Golden Age, except that it was quick, brutal, and pushed mankind back from the solar system, corralling them on Earth, even as the Traveler tried it's hardest to push back the invasions of the races that besieged us.

The Cabal, hulking war-mongering humanoids from a high pressure environment. Their advance was slow, but unstoppable. They pushed us from Mars, from our shining cities, creating an exclusion zone we could not enter without being slaughtered.

The Vex, a mechanical hive mind spanning galaxies; they arrived from nowhere, slaughtering all they came across and began converting Venus into one of their great machines, for an unknown purpose.

The Fallen, vaguely insectoid scavengers. Although hints were found showing they might have once been greater than what they are now, all that humanity has witnessed is a swarming, greedy expanse into Earth's lands, driving us back into out last city, out last stronghold.

The Hive. Creatures from the grave, rotting, chittering hordes of varying sizes but with only one goal: KILL. They drove us from our moon, our oldest colony and began tunneling and hollowing the planetoid, breeding and waiting.

And the Darkness itself. A mysterious force, seemingly driving all four races to annihilate humanity even as they squabbled amongst themselves for territory. It was an odd thing, both insubstantial and ethereal while still stifling all life it touched. It oozed throughout our solar system, covering each planet one by one until it had cornered us and the Traveler on Earth, confined us to our last City.

And, in desperation, the Traveler struck back.

With a wave on incredible energies, born of Light- what we called the soul- washed through the world and spread, pushing back the Darkness, sending the Hive scuttling underground to hide, suppressing the Vex's communication and forcing the Cabal and Fallen to retreat the their strongholds, lest their ships fall from the skies and burn.

It worked; it gave humanity breathing room, a chance to rebuild and plan, so maybe- JUST MAYBE- have a chance at succeeding.

But only Humanity. For as it had fought for us, the Traveler, the closest thing we knew of to a God, had been mortally wounded. The last push was is last, spiteful blow against its antithesis- giving its life so we might survive, and for the faint hope we might succeed where it had failed.

Here is where records are conflicting- What happened just after the massive push that let us live on to this day. Most records hold that the Ghost's, small bits of the traveler's soul housed in machinery and impossibility, arrived with that last breath, given life from its death.

This isn't true, and I am living proof.

You see, even for all its power and knowledge, the Traveler wasn't all knowing. It knew what it would do, and it had steeled itself to do so, but it was not sure how to give humanity a fighting chance- even the lowliest of its enemies would lay low even the most highly trained human with little effort.

And so, even as it gathered its Light for the final blow, it broke off bits of itself- from that deeper, indefinable thing called the Soul that Light springs from- sending them into the void between spaces to find long-dead avatar's for its wrath.

It didn't work. The darkness, feeling the intrusion across the system, fell upon those defenseless motes with an unholy hunger, ripping and tearing, rendering the effort wort naught. Frustrated by its failure, the Traveler did something else- it housed bits of its power in shells, showed them how to find the warriors that were needed, and empowered them to release the light from their own souls as a weapon.

And as such, the Ghosts were born.

And in the confusion of so much power being released so explosively, and so many newborn Lights in existence, the Darkness missed a single fragment of the Traveler's soul, the smallest, simplest piece.

It found me; someone not long dead or still fighting. No, it found me when I was but a babe- one of the first changed by the explosion of power- one of the first Awoken.

It found me, and joined with me, making me the first- and last- son of the traveler, and with all that entails.

Not that I knew that at the time.

My name is Faelin Slate, and I am the first Guardian.


	2. Chapter 2: Earth and the Traveler

Chapter 2: Light and Life

Growing up in the wake of the Collapse wasn't the easiest thing to endure, even if you were in the great City. There were constant food shortages, constant attacks by the Fallen, and chaos as the newborn Guardians attempted to create some sort of order. During this upheaval, I lost my parents and was forced into one of the giant orphanages run by the City. Dreary, but you got square meals and were taught the basics of math and the sciences, so I couldn't complain. After a time, things settled into a routine and the great walls of the city arose- thanks to the Titan order of guardians. Still, the enemy attacked and attacked, attempting to tear down our last sanctuary, and that's where the Hunter order came in. Fast, stealthy scouts who could more than hold their own in a fight- they harassed the enemy, sowing chaos across the encampments in as many ways as they could. Sudden forest fire? They can do it. Make it look like that Prime Servitor just attacked the Kell? Tricky, but had some amusing aftermath. Stealth and trickery were their calling cards, and they enjoyed every second.

While they were creating havoc in the encampments, the Titan order was not idle. A large group of initiates, led by the oldest among them led a charge out of the city to reclaim land vital to the survival of the City. It was bloody and brutal, a simple advance earned in blood and fire. The massive strength granted them by the Traveler ensured that for every Titan that fell, the enemy paid quite the premium in their own blood.

Finally, the Warlock order was assisting in their own way. Researchers and mystics, they refined methods of repairing the wondrous golden age tech that could be found, created the great Probability Kilns that the City used to provide arms and armor to their forces. This was not their only use, though. While intellectuals at heart, even the most scholarly sage could be driven to anger. With the Light of their souls burning in anger, they could tear reality with but a gesture and even use their Light to enhance others or bring themselves back from grievous wounds.

Guardians. The three Disciplines were part of them, and as much as it would be convenient, you could have only the aspect unlocked by your Ghost at your rebirth. No Titans who could use Radiance, or Hunter who could put up the formidable Ward of Dawn. You could use what you were given, and choose between the sub-aspects, but never use one from another 'School'.

Nobody told _me_ that! At the age of seven, I manifested my first Light manipulation- and it was a doozy.

A small Fallen skiff had broken through the wall's defenses by being lucky- it had approached as the local AA battery was down for maintenance. Normally, even this wouldn't be an issue, but the complement of Guardians with weaponry that could damage the Skiff on the local wall was sparse, and so it broke through. The soldiers and Guardians gave chase as best they could, but troops- Dregs and Vandals, with a Captain thrown in for flavor- were deployed as it went, keeping them back for a time.

I was reading on my pad, behind the orphanage at the time. I always was the odd one out- most of the Awoken had left Earth with their children, heading out to the Reef for sanctuary. I was of a very small minority, and paid the price. So, I read and amused myself, realizing that if I tried to involve myself with the other kids it wouldn't end well. It was this decision that led to now.

There was a rustling in the bushes, and I tried to ignore it. The other kids liked to stare at the "Glowy Freak", and I would only end up bullied if I did anything so I ignored their antics for the most part. I couldn't ignore it when a warbling cry unlike any I had ever heard erupted from the bramble and a large, six armed form stalked out, sword pointed at me arcing with electricity.

I froze- I was seven, but I had heard and seen the broadcasts detailing the enemy. I never thought I would see one, but here I was- staring down a Vandal, armed with nothing more than a patched up old datapad. The tense moment broke when the alien lunged at me, clearly aiming to make me half the man I used to be. Startled, I yelled and toppled off the old crate I was perched on, the sword embedding itself deep into the wood, and setting it to smoldering. Oddly enough, it was the smell of the wood catching fore that made me angry- it had been my favorite place to sit, and this thing ruined it! I only had a second of that odd thought in my head before the other hand swung towards my face, bringing the energy cutlass arcing too close for comfort as I scooted back in the dirt. Fear restored, I tried to run, but with a screech the rest of the raiding party reached the clearing behind the old orphanage. A dreg, moving faster than it had any right to, grabbed my ankle and tossed me into the middle of them. Looking up, scared out of my mind, all I could think of was how I wanted a safe place to hide, where the bad things couldn't get at me.

A tingle ran up my spine and an eerie violet glow shone in the alien's faces a split second before an eruption of purple light exploded from my outstretched hands, forming a dome around me and forcing them back for a split second. They seemed as shocked as me! But they recovered quickly, the Dregs reflexively firing shot after shot into the barrier, all for no effect. Finally, the Vandal who had attacked me became fed up and walked into the dome and dragged me out, screaming in that odd, rough voice they have. I might have been screaming too, to be honest. It was around then that the trailing Guardians caught up and unleashed a withering storm of gunfire. Most of the Dregs dropped in seconds, alongside the other two Vandals. But unfortunately, the Vandal who had ahold of me seemed to be smarter than average and grabbed me to use as a shield as it ordered the other aliens to take cover in what I now know to be a Ward of Dawn. The gunfire died down, and the guardians slowed their advance, both wary of getting me killed and confused as to where the Ward came from.

Around this time was when I did what most would think impossible.

See, by my first Light expression, I should be a Titan, restricted to the Striker- an unstoppable juggernaut of electric rage who uses his fists to talk and the Fist of Havoc ability to dominate a large area- Defender, a wall unbreakable that uses his abilities to shield himself with his mass eating Disintegrate strike, and uses the Ward of dawn to laugh off even tank fire, or the rare Sunbreaker- the anger and aggressiveness of the sun in humanoid form, using the Sunstrike so set enemies alight, and using the powerful Hammer of Sol to wipe out huge numbers of enemy combatants.

I didn't try to do any of that- I didn't think, being a child, that the restriction was anything more than an annoying rule. And even though I was panicking, I remembered that the Warlocks had an attack that would help me here. And so, focusing on what I thought I wanted to do, I pulled on that tingle that was ever-present inside me (now that I knew where to look) and cast my hand forwards to the ground.

A Nova Bomb erupted, hitting the ground and tossing me away, even as the Fallen shrieked and disintegrated into violet streamers of light, leaving nothing behind except the Ward, which flickered and went out.

I propped myself up on one hand to look at the guardians, who seemed to be stuck in place, not believing what just happened. Then, the stress of the day and the sudden untrained exertions of power caught up to me, and I passed out.

I won't bore you with the details, as they aren't as important as they could be, considering where I am now, but I will give you an overview. I spent the next few years in the then-new Tower, the massive complex that housed the leadership of the Guardian orders. I learned from the warlocks, assimilating the arcane knowledge of Light and the base academics with surprising ease. From them, I unlocked my power through extensive study- it was the hardest branch to learn. While I got the Nova Bomb down quickly, it took me quite a while to add the extra effects that were possible. Next came Radiance. I don't like to talk about Radiance; torching off your own clothes on accident at the age of thirteen, in the middle of a group of scientists with all manner of recording equipment? Well, you never live it down. Still, I stuck with it as I considered (and still do, to an extent) it my most useful trump card. Seeing as I had no Ghost to re-assemble my body when I was wounded, I needed it more than anything else. Paradoxically, Stormtrance took a very long time to achieve, but when I hit it I nailed the use quickly.

The Hunter's taught me how to move, to use my opponent's strength against him, to use stealth and Light to create chaos- they liked that I was as adept with the Golden Gun as I was with the Arc Blades and the Shadowshot, the Void bow. A hunter has to be a jack of all trades, after all!

Oddly enough, it was the Titans that were the most difficult to get along with. While the Hunters were easy going and the Warlocks appreciated knowledge and arcane might, the Titan order was much more rigid, and mostly disapproved of what they called my "unfocused dabbling in un-necessary arts". They felt that I should adhere to being just a Titan, as that is what I had manifested first.

Me? I ignored all the little insults and slights and learned what I could, as fast as I could. The Fist of Havoc, the Ward of Dawn and the Hammer of Sol all came to me as easily as breathing- their variants included. Despite me not liking their attitude towards my abilities, I use Titan armor to this day- albeit modified out of necessity, as I had to make it compatible with all forms of my Light.

Hell, I even managed to surprise the Speaker, as when he finally met me he could feel the bit of the Traveler within me. Shit, I'd go so far as to say that he's the only reason I knew, myself. That, and the fact that even in what amounts to a brain-dead state, a God's dream affects reality. How do you think the Speaker knew what he did, when he did? Turns out that the man _did_ have a connection, after all.

The gunsmith. Heh, he never liked me. "Too inquisitive!" "Leave me alone." Most of my conversations with him went like that, but he still leant me some materials to make my first weapon.

I was sixteen when I was finally satisfied with my training, weapons and armor. They were low quality, granted, but still better than the Ghost-produced Lightmail that new guardians got when they were brought back from the currents of entropy. So, with the blessing of the speaker, I left the City and went into the wilderness to see just what I could do.

Old Russia was a bitch. Granted, I got my jumpship there, but still. From there, I advanced through the next two years, branching out and traveling to different planets and fighting the different races of Darkness where I found them. I made a name for myself, too. 'Hivebane', 'Slayer of Crota', 'and Ender of the Vex'- I did much, and learned much. I grew, trained, and worked on my armor as I went; I am glad I did so much crafting as I did, because when the sliver of the Traveler's soul was finally absorbed by mine, there was quite the reaction.

LIGHT, blinding LIGHT. So much, too much for one body to contain- I was lucky I was an Awoken, or the sudden release of power would have vaporized me instantly. My heritage let me vent it outwards, and all that resulted was a bit of the Moon's debris going missing. Still, it kept coming, and even as my body adapted to it, my mind could not. Oh, I could toss around power with impunity, but with Light empowering my entire body, I could take a single step and go flying as if hit by a Fallen Pike. I had to consciously regulate _everything_ , and it was not fun. No matter how much mental discipline I developed, it still outran me after a while. I couldn't function on missions; that was the worst part.

I decided to fix that.

I roped Lord Shaxx, the Titan in charge of the Crucible, into helping me design and create my armor. The kinetic sinks that allowed a Titan to be hit by a Kell and walk away? Repurposed- they now bled away excess momentum, keeping my physical strength at that of a particularly powerful Titan. Hadronic essence, the odd material used by Warlocks in their robes to deflect harm, was layered, used as a mirror to contain my radiant energy so I wouldn't show up as a prime target to enemies. Sapphire wire, the superconducting electronic component that Hunters favored networked all the armor's systems, channeling Light from unit to unit and keeping it all in equilibrium. Still, it was too much; actual armor on top of all that was incredibly bulky, so I took a page out of the Titan's book once again.

Relic Iron. Incredibly dense, incredibly hard, it was generally used only as a structural element as it was too heavy, even for a Titan. For me? We just re-tuned the kinetic sinks to allow for it. We patterned the armor off what I had brought back from my abortive journey to Mercury, to a Vex Nexus we detected Light from. All I found were a couple odd Engrams and a while shitload of Vex, but the engrams were worth it. Visually identical to the armor that was given to the winners of the Trials of Osiris, it was a masterwork.

It was a disaster. The Vex had corrupted large amounts of the system data, so while we got cool looking armor, it was functionally useless. Still, the structural elements were ingenious, and so Shaxx and I patterned my Relic Armor off it.

It worked- it BLOODY WORKED! And I promptly went on a rampage, releasing months of pent up stress at being useless. All I can say is that Fallen transmissions included many, MANY references to me that day.

My giddy slaughter was cut off by an urgent message from the Speaker, though. He needed me back at the Tower ASAP, and it had to do with the Traveler- directly. Needless to say, I was on my way before he finished speaking, no pun intended.

When I arrived, the Vanguard were conferencing with the sole survivor of the first Crota Raid attempt, Eris Morn. She had always creeped me out, the taint of the Hive on her making my skin crawl, but she beat back the Darkness eating her Soul with will alone, and so I respected her, and her opinions.

As I entered the room, all eyes fell on me. Commander Zavala, the Titan vanguard head, gave me a brief frown but waved me over anyway. Before he could speak, though, Ikora- the Warlock Vanguard- addressed me first. "Mister Slate, good of you to join us on such short notice. The Speaker could not have said much over an unencrypted channel, so the Commander here will debrief you." Gesturing to the large Awoken titan, she turned back to Eris, conversing softly. The large man in question straightened from leaning on the table and met my eyes. "Slate, the Fallen have done something we honestly did not think was possible; they seem to have managed to sneak a skiff into the Traveler's wound."

My brain ground to a halt at that. Sputtering for a moment, I began to reply; "WHAT?! What about the walls, the AA batteries?!"

"Bypassed, ignored, just like the Traveler's own Light seems to have been." This voice was from the third Vanguard member, Cayde-6. An Exo.

Ah, that's right, you wouldn't know what an Exo was, would you. Long story short, think of a sentient android with a soul, and you have it. Initially created by humanity, they were born in the heights of the golden age and were still around today, as both Guardians and simple civilians. But, I digress. I locked eyes with him, and removed my helmet, massaging the ridge of my nose- one of my stress induced mannerisms.

"Great, just great. So, am I getting this right- the Fallen did what it took the Hive a hundred years to do, and somehow got their asses onto the Traveler? Wow."

Looking up at my outburst, Eris decided to contribute to the conversation at last; "Ah, you see only what the scavengers want to show you. This was done by Hive magicks, fell and black. I felt it in my dream, and as I dreamt, I found the answer."

Cayde, in his usual smartass manner, was rolling his eyes and flapping his hand like a mouth, mocking her. I had to suppress a smile; Cayde was the closest Vanguard member I knew, almost like family. Still, he knew when to serious up, and he added his two cent's worth.

"Yeah, well, the bugs do learn fast. Still, Eris here thinks that you could stop them."

I raised an eyebrow at that. "The field the Traveler emits vaporizes anything that gets too close- you know, the entire reason that this is a problem?! What do you think _**I**_ could do? Scare them off by being a particularly colorful smear on the field?"

Holding up her hand to forestall Zavala, who looked ready to read me the riot act for that, Ikora interrupted. "No, of course not. But we think, given your unique relationship with the Traveler, that you could possibly bypass the field if we transmat you through it.

I opened my mouth to shout down that idea- it had been tried before, and to very gory results- but Eris responded before I could. "No, we would not be simply transmitting you, Slate, but synchronizing your Light with the Traveler's remaining sparks."

I stopped to consider that point. "… It could work, in theory, if I seemed like part of the Traveler itself. Okay, I'll do it. When do you need me to –?"

" **ALERT, TOWER ALERT. TRAVELER LIGHT AT 21% AND FALLING."**

I knew what that meant, and so did they. "Ok, I'm going. Send the modifications to my jumpship- I'll be at the hangar shortly."

And then I was sprinting towards a very fateful encounter.

Random shit 1: Next chapter is where we enter the RWBY verse, and I have no idea how to do that. Prepare for an asspull!

( **Sister's note: As you can see, I left my brother's… notes? Intact, just because I felt they might add some insight to his thoughts. I'm almost through editing his next chapter- just proofreading and spelling checking it so it isn't horrible. I hope you like it, he would love to know you did. Remember, I'll be continuing it after- and he only left me the previous intro, this chapter and two more, so any ideas on how to make this what he would have wanted would be appreciated.)**


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